Philosophic Values and World Citizenship is a Sankofan knockout to the all too common conversations in American philosophy that continue to overlook the significance of Alain Locke in pragmatism, preferring instead the stolid rhetoric of canonical figures—like John Dewey or Josiah Royce—who held incomplete (racially excluding) democratic visions. Carter and Harris have compiled an array of primary texts and secondary ... Read morereflections that demonstrate the innovative foresight and conceptual resources held in Alain Locke’s philosophy, with the power awaken us from our Obama-era lullabies and convey to us the seriousness and assiduity needed to achieve an actual cosmopolitan vision.
Tommy J. Curry, Texas A&M University The very title of the work, Philosophic Values and World Citizenship: Locke to Obama and Beyond indicates both the newness and significance of the subject matter of this interesting book. The United States, with its long (and at times savage) history of anti-black racism elected its first African American president, Barack Obama, almost two years ago. Alain Locke, the first African American Rhodes scholar and Harvard PhD in philosophy, played a central role in what came to be called the Harlem Renaissance, that most pivotal movement and moment in the development of African American self consciousness?that moment when black people first interrogated themselves publically, politically, and artistically and constructed images of themselves individuallyand collectively. The subject matter then of this book is nothing less than a comprehensive exploration of the many ways in which Locke's portrayal of the dignity and complexity of African American culture contributed not only to the development of African American self consciousness but also to the transformation of American culture resulting, indirectly to be sure, in the election our nation's first African American president. The essays that comprise this volume are all well written and will without d
Pat Goodin, Howard University A wonderful combination of four major essays by Locke and nine excellent and mostly original essays by both established and younger scholars, which demonstrate Locke's contemporary relevance and historical and thematic ties between his work and various philosophical traditions, including pragmatism, critical theory, and Latin American philosophy. This volume adds significantly to the growing body of literature establishing Locke's well-deserved place in the canon of American philosophy.
Kenneth Stikkers, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale The very title of the work, Philosophic Values and World Citizenship: Locke to Obama and Beyond indicates both the newness and significance of the subject matter of this interesting book. The United States, with its long (and at times savage) history of anti-black racism elected its first African American president, Barack Obama, almost two years ago. Alain Locke, the first African American Rhodes scholar and Harvard PhD in philosophy, played a central role in what came to be called the Harlem Renaissance, that most pivotal movement and moment in the development of African American self consciousness—that moment when black people first interrogated themselves publically, politically, and artistically and constructed images of themselves individually and collectively. The subject matter then of this book is nothing less than a comprehensive exploration of the many ways in which Locke's portrayal of the dignity and complexity of African American culture contributed not only to the development of African American self consciousness but also to the transformation of American culture resulting, indirectly to be sure, in the election our nation's first African American president. The essays that comprise this volume are all well written and will without doubt make important contributions to the field of Locke scholarship and to the understanding of African thought and culture in general.
Pat Goodin, Howard University Show Less